In Ezekiel 38 & Mark 1, the Old Testament meets the New Testament
This connection is often overlooked but is absolutely vital to our understanding of Jesus.
Because sometimes we treat the Old and New Testaments as two separate books, two different Gods even—but they’re not.
They’re one story. One heartbeat. One divine plan unfolding across generations.
In the readings from Ezekiel and St Mark, we are on a journey that spans centuries, crosses covenants, and reveals something amazing:
that the God of the Old Testament is the same God we meet in the New Testament
He doesn’t change. His promises don’t expire. And His desire to dwell within the heart of his people has never wavered.
The two readings from Ezekiel and Mark at first seem worlds apart: Ezekiel 38:21-end and Mark 1:21–28.
But when we hold them side by side, we see something wonderful unfold.
God speaks through the prophet saying; ‘I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord’. Ezekiel 38:29
This is a promise spoken to a people who had been through exile, judgment, and despair.
God is saying, “I’m coming back. I will not be hiding anymore. And I will pour out my Spirit.”
He is saying to people in great despair; you will have the chance to know me again.
Then in Mark’s Gospel.
Jesus Cast Out a Demon – Mark 1:21–28
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus walked into a synagogue in Capernaum.
He started to teach there, and the people were amazed.
Not because He was loud or dramatic, but because He spoke with such authority.
Then He cast out a demon dwelling within a man there, and the crowd was astonished:
Some began muttering;
‘What is happening is this a new teaching?‘
‘He speaks with such authority!’
But this wasn’t just a miracle. It was a moment where God’s face was no longer hidden.
It was the Spirit being poured out—not in words, but in a person.
In the person of Jesus, who is the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s promise, spoken of in Chapter 38.
He is God’s face revealed.
The Holy Spirit was set in motion as Jesus cast out the demon, which in return acknowledged his true identity by saying;
‘I know who you are—the Holy One of God!’
The Link Between the Two Teachings
So what do these two passages tell us?
They tell us that the Old Testament isn’t just a background story—it’s a blueprint. The beating heart of God’s promises.
And the New Testament is the unveiling of those promises in flesh and blood.
- In Ezekiel, God said; ‘I will no longer hide my face.’
- In Mark, Jesus walked into the synagogue and revealed that face.
- In Ezekiel, God promised to pour out His Spirit.
- In Mark, we see that Spirit at work—teaching, healing, restoring.
This is the thread that ties Scripture together. It’s not two stories—it’s one.
It’s the story of a God who longs to be known, who refuses to stay distant, and who ultimately steps into our world to walk among us.
Old Testament and New Testament Prophesies about Jesus;
the Lion and the Lamb
Isaiah 11:6
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”
Depicts peace in the Messianic age
Isaiah 53:7
“He was led like a lamb to the slaughter… he did not open his mouth.”
Describes Jesus’ suffering and submission.
Revelation 5:5
“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.”
Refers to Jesus as the victorious Messiah.
So What Does This Mean for Us Today?
It means we can trust in the promises of God—even the ones that feel ancient.
Because as he kept his word in Ezekiel, and fulfilled it in Jesus; so too we should believe he will keep his promies to us.
The promises that are many, but culminate in the ultimate hope we are offered of Life Eternal, for all who put their faith in Jesus.
It means we don’t have to live like God is hiding, because his face is revealed to us in Christ;
who is the long-awaited fulfilment of the Old Testament, and came to live amongst us.
Today, because of Jesus, God’s spirit is poured out on believers, which means we’re part of this story.
We’re not just readers—we’re participants.
We carry the presence of God into our homes, our workplaces, our communities.
But without the base of the Old Testament, our faith would have no credentials.
We would have nothing to back up our belief in Jesus being the long-awaited Holy One of Israel.
Also known as the Lion and the Lamb.
